Minutes #2

Virginia Beach Medical Society

Organizational Committee Meeting

Minutes #2 – January 17, 2023

Minutes for Meeting of January 17, 2023

Members present: Lisa Barr, MD, Duane Lawrence, MD, Peter LaPlace, MD, Greg Warth, MD

The virtual (Zoom) meeting began at 7:00PM EST.

Merger:

After a review of our current situation, the overwhelming consensus among the members present was that we should move forward with merging the Chesapeake Medical Society (CMS) and the Virginia Beach Medical Society (VBMS) with the Norfolk Academy of Medicine (NAM) and create a new name for the organization as the “Coastal Virginia Medical Society” (CVMS).

It was felt that the easiest way to accomplish this would be for all of us to come under the umbrella of the 501(c)6 non-profit status of NAM rather than go to the expense and time required to form an entirely new entity. The structure of NAM and its registration with the State Corporation Commission is already in place. Nevertheless, the following changes will need to occur:

1.     Gather and review the available documents of each of the societies and amend them to create a new single set of bylaws, business plan, mission statement, articles of incorporation, and any other documents required. These will later require a vote of approval by the membership after they have been distributed.

2.     Create a new Board of Directors (BOD) with President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and three Directors-at-Large, one from each city, to be elected by the membership, plus one non-voting, paid, appointed Executive Director. Committees to be appointed by the BOD. The nominees for the Board could just include the ones who are already serving.

3.     Apply to the State Corporation Commission for a name change from NAM to CVMS.

4.     Update status with the IRS.

5.     We will need legal help to do this. Potential law firms were discussed. We will reach out to one or more of them to discuss terms of advertising for them in return for the legal services required.

6.     Communication with the members and/or groups within the current societies and with other potential new members (EVMS faculty, residents, and students) notifying them of these changes.

7.     Use the current VBMS website but change the name and the web address.

8.     We will remain independent from the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) but will collaborate with them on many issues of concern to all of us.

9.     We will also ask MSV if they can provide any legal or other support for our new organization as we move forward.

Once these changes are completed, we could begin sending out invoices for dues and schedule our first meeting for all the members.

Focus:

We discussed ideas that would improve the focus and the mission of the organization so that the new CVMS will have more appeal to younger as well as older physicians, both for individuals and groups.

1.     Our focus will include not only advocating for better healthcare for our local communities, but also providing help and resources for our members in whatever way we can.

2.     Multiple benefits and services at discounted rates will be provided for members which have not been available in the past. These will be patterned after the Medical Society of Northern Virginia (MSNVA.org) who has successfully implemented these services for its members and who has agreed to help us with the resources and knowledge needed to do the same for our members. See their website for details.

3.     Improve methods of secure communications among members.

4.     Collegial benefits – gathering for fun.

5.     Awards, recognition, scholarships

6.     Collaborate with Eastern Virginia Medical School for educational benefits (CMEs).

7.     Provide marketing opportunities for local law firms, banks, accountants, and other businesses in return for member discounts.

8.     Recruitment services. Find employment opportunities. Assist in starting new practices.

9.     Marketing resources for new practices.

10.  Problem solving resources.

11.  Physician wellness.

12.  Many other possibilities.

Spreading the Word:

We will obtain a master listing of all physicians and extenders in our three cities so that we can notify them of these changes and offer opportunities for them to join if they are not already members. They will be provided with a monthly newsletter if they wish to keep up to date on events, services, benefits, and what we are advocating for at the local and state levels. We will ask for surveys to find out how we can serve the membership better and to determine their concerns regarding healthcare issues, roadblocks to patient care, system inefficiencies, etc.

The meeting was adjourned at around 8:10 PM.

Plans were made for our next meeting to occur again by Zoom on Tuesday at 7:00PM EST February 21, 2023.

Respectfully submitted,

Gregory J. Warth, MD

gjwarth@gmail.com

757-816-8399

January 18, 2023

Free Digital Newsletter

Stay up to date on issues and news you need to know. The CVMS Bulletin is published monthly and will list concerns that local physicians have expressed about healthcare in Coastal Virginia and how we can make it better. We will provide potential solutions and let you know what is happening behind the scenes to help solve these problems.